Should Smoking Be a Mortal Sin?

skeeter1

JDubs hang their hat on the fact that the WTS was right about not smoking. (The JDubs forget that the WTS did not get it right on vaccinations or organ transplants...but that's for another post)

Granted, saying "no" to smoke was a good, healthy decision.

But, should one be disfellowshipped for smoking? Is it an offense that causes one to lose everlasting life? I don't think so, and here is why.

Romans and Greek smoked plants. Just "google" and find out more.

The Bible and Jesus never said it was against Jehovah's rules to smoke. If the Romans were smoking weeds, grasses, and whatever else....wouldn't Jesus or the other writers have warned that Jehovah hated smoking?

Jesus said in Matthew 15:17 that nothing goes into the mouth that defiles the man, only what comes out of the man.

1st Cor 4:6 states that we must not go beyond what is written.

The WTS goes beyond what is written when it made smoking a disfellowshipping offense.

Some JDubs will say that it is a disfelowshipping offense as it "defiles" the body. Why isn't working in a coal mine or being obese a disfellowshpping offense?

Lady Zombie

No. Smoking should not be a disfellowshipping offense.

True, smoking is bad for your health and is addictive and expensive, but so is obesity. And how many JWs are obese?

I worked in healthcare for almost 20 years. I saw numerous cases of health problems from smoking, but saw way more from obesity!!

So, if the Dubbie position is that smoking is disrespecting god's gift of life, then obesity should also be made to be a DF'ing offense.

It won't be so therefore if a Dubbie wants to smoke, then it should be their own decision.

Some GB member in the past probably didn't like smokers so he pushed to make it a DF'ing offense.

beksbks

Only if I am within a hundred yards.

Actually, my father was a smoker. He tried to quit many times. When the JW's came out with that tough article in the early '70's, he tossed 'em and never looked back.

skeeter1

Why does a GB member not like smoking?

I think the change had to do with "who smoked". It was a "Hollywood" / James Dean / Motorcycle / edgy thing to do. Becuase it was perceived as an "edgy" behavior (like blue jean material), it was banned.

I took a sociology class in college. One of the topics was the "illegalization" of various substances. When the upper class white people used the substance, it was allowed. When the black Jazz musicians started to use the substance, it was now perceived as dirty. Therefore, it was no problem to illegalize it.

Cheesecake, Doritos, and Fried Chicken are not perceived as dirty. So, they are allowed...for now. But, watch out Trans Fats.

Skeeter

WTWizard

This is what happens when someone smokes:

First, the health risks are everywhere. You get cancer, heart disease, asthma, allergies (yes, the damn things can create allergies), premature aging, and just about everything else (with the possible exception of Alzheimer's Disease). People around you are also affected, and (especially children) can develop helath problems if continually exposed to smoke.

It is also a waste of money. And time. You need to spend the time to light up the damn thing, and usually you have to take it outside. They cost money (usually around $5 a pack). They also dirty things up in the room, like that Christmas tree or your computer (and your clothes, walls, and rugs). All of which adds to waste.

Isn't that enough? Why add to the above the burden of getting disfellowshipped? If you choose to smoke, you are going to bear the natural consequences, and that is punishment enough. It is just plain wrong to bust up families because someone chooses to smoke.

AuntBee

I actually heard someone talking about this the other day. Do a Bible concordance search on the word "smoking". Then do a word search for "unicorn." The Bible talks about unicorns much more than it talks about smoking. LOL

Vachi 8 He Is

I'm about to fire up one of my "defilers" right now. Honestly, dubs might as well chain themselves to their houses because everything in the world is wrong to them.

Witness 007

What about Valium or other hard legal drugs that Witnesses take? Aren't they worse then smokes....I'm sure there are Witnesses who drop Valium like candy.

purplesofa

Mormans do not disfellowship for smoking.

They can hang out with others that smoke, they encourage them not to, but it is not a DF offense.

Just wanted to post that.

purps

sweetstuff

No, it should not be a d'fing offense. Simply because as stated by the OP and others, it isn't the only way in which you can damage your health, I know alot of really fat JWs, no one takes them to task for gluttony and informs them they must lose the weight or be dfed! (Not suggesting they should either.)

Defiling the body could include drinking energy drinks (many contain high doses of caffiene and in some cases ephedrine), drinking coffee, anything with aspartame, medications, suntanning ( can cause cancer as well), piercing your ears (far fetched, yes but some wingnuts could view it as defilement), tattoos. Why hasn't the governing body put a ban on all processed foods, and insisted it is a dfing offense to eat anything but certified organic foods?

My point is that they pick and choose what scriptures include and don't include. Nothing new there. I think we all know the risks of smoking. You can't smoke, but you also can't take a blood transfusion to save your life. You can lay in the sun day in and day out and risk getting skin cancer, even if you have a family history and you won't be df'd for it. You can eat at fast food joints regularly and put "crap" into your body, but you won't be df'd for it.You can drive like a maniac on the highway but you won't be df'd for it. Is the WTS really concerned with your health and welfare, or about making policy that creates a "statement"?

Should Smoking Be a Mortal Sin?

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